Somali police and foreign naval forces are coming to rescue “MV Abdullah”
Last Updated on March 19, 2024 3:57 am
Bangladeshi ship ‘MV Abdullah’ was captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on March 12. 23 Bangladeshis including sailors and crew were taken hostage by the pirates.
Meanwhile, Somali police and naval forces of different countries are preparing to carry out an operation on Monday to rescue the Bangladeshi ship held hostage by pirates. This information was reported by the police force of Somalia’s Puntland region.
Preparations for the operation are underway two days after Indian Navy commandos rescued a cargo ship from Somali pirates.
On March 12, pirates hijacked the MV Abdullah from the Indian Ocean and took it to the coast of Somalia. The Indian Navy deployed a warship and a long-range patrol vessel soon after the pirates took control of the ship. Indian warships followed the Bangladeshi ship in close proximity until it was taken off the coast of Somalia.
Meanwhile, Indian Navy personnel rescued the Malta-flagged cargo ship MV Rouen on Saturday. Last December, pirates took control of the ship. 17 sailors were freed and 35 pirates were arrested.
Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, is home to many pirate groups. The police there said they are on high alert and ready to take part in the operation against the pirates holding the MV Abdullah hostage.
The Puntland police force is on alert after receiving reports that international naval forces are planning an attack on pirates, a statement said.
Reuters has contacted the Indian Navy for a comment. But they did not respond immediately.
On Sunday, Puntland police said they seized a vehicle carrying drugs intended to supply pirates aboard the MV Abdullah.
Somali pirates have attacked more than 20 ships since last November, operating in the seas of the region for almost a decade. Its latest victim is the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah.
The persecution of these pirates in Somalia reached its peak in 2011. They cost the world economy an estimated $7 billion that year. Out of this several crores went as ransom paid to them.
Source: Reuters